The area along Queens Quay between Bathurst and Yonge is the Harbourfront neighbourhood of Toronto, more of a tourist destination than anything, yet a community with a ton of high-rise condos giving residents spectacular and often panoramic views out over Lake Ontario. Home to cultural, food and music festivals, as well as Canada Day events, Harbourfront is Toronto’s playground appreciated by locals and tourists. Parks, beaches and walkways make this a great neighbourhood during the summer, but most of the time, getting around in Harbourfront is pretty tricky, with congested and limited access to the city's downtown core for drivers.

Who Lives Here

Couples and singles who work downtown and earn higher than average incomes.

Perfect for…

Young people seeking the luxury condominium lifestyle with the best of Toronto's restaurants, bars and outdoor recreation areas within steps from their elevator.

Not-so-perfect for…

Families, who will find the high-rises don't cater well to housing three or four people. In addition, renters with a budget to spend less than $1,500 on a one-bedroom apartment won't find anything suitable in Harbourfront.

Life and Style

During the summer, the Harbourfront is a paradise not only for local residents, but also for people from all over Toronto, plus a huge influx of tourists, all of whom hang out at the beaches and parks, and stroll or bike ride along the Martin Goodman Trail, which spans 56 kilometres. For foodies, Harbourfront has some very cool options, like the International Marketplace Festival, featuring food from across the globe, and the World Cafe, which serves dishes from a variety of restaurants around Toronto. Thanks to its location, patios are in no short supply when the weather is nice. After dark, Harbourfront comes alive with swanky parties at rooftop lounges at electronic dance clubs. Residents of the condo towers in the Harbourfront have a much easier time commuting to work via transit than car because of the Expressway that cuts the neighbourhood off from the rest of downtown. The area is served, however, by Toronto's streetcar system and, of course, the ferry.

Housing Market

With essentially zero detached houses to be found, the entire housing stock of the Harbourfront is confined to high-rise luxury condominium buildings, most of which have penthouse units on their top floors. Many buildings have gyms and underground parking, and most are new construction. With glorious views and fine finishes, these condos are very expensive for buyers and for renters.

Avg. rent by housing type and size

Typical housing type

High-rise luxury condominiums

Neighbourhood

The focal point of the Harbourfront is Harbourfront Centre, an arts and culture centre that hosts performances of dance, music, theatre, literature and film, and seats 2,000 people. In a given year, there are about 4,000 performances going on at Harbourfront Centre. Outside of the centre are some spectacular parks, like HTO – a lakefront beach – Harbour Square Park, a boardwalk and the undulating Simco Wave Deck. The ferry terminal is located here. Strangely, the Harbourfront neighbourhood is also home to the Canada Malting Silos, which aren't in operation any more, but still stand at the eastern edge of the community, as well as the Redpath Sugar Refinery.